Good evening, it's Thursday, December 25th. This is the Jive at Five – Our daily community calendar and run down of night time programming, here on 88.1 FM WESU Middletown, your station for NPR, Pacifica, independent and local public affairs by day and the best in free-form community programming week-nights and weekends.

I'm JCherry producer and host of VOICE of the CITY,Tuesday from 8-9PM, Showcasing live and local music, arts, and culture. From all of us here at WESU have a happy and safe holiday!

Now here’s a rundown of some of what’s going on in our area this week. The schedule is a bit thin doe to the some holiday happening this week.

The Buttonwood Tree in Middletown is closed until January 4th.

In New Haven tonight, at Cafe Nine is closed. They reopen Friday at 5 with the Nick Dimaria Quartet, followed at 9 by Milksop:Unsing, Wasted Days, Rudeyna, and Jacket Thor. Saturday afternoon’s Jazz Jam Session at 4:30 features Tony Dioguardi & Friends, followed at 9 by Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez, and the George Baker Band. On Sunday at 3 they feature Thee Icepicks and Ninth Wave, with their 8 p.m. Original Sunday Night Jam with the Morris Trent Band. www.cafenine.com

Up in Hartford, at Blackeyed Sally’s They’re closed Tuesday through Thursday for the holiday. On Friday, they reopen with John Mayock & the Homesteaders, bringing you edgy roots-rock for an 8:00 show. On Saturday they bring Misty Blues to the stage, featuring lead singer and founder Gina Coleman. www.blackeyedsallys.com

Down in New Haven, at Toad’s Place, Friday they bring you John Valby and XXX-Mas Show. Saturday you can catch Badfish with a Tribute to Sublime, along with Something Simple, Shrub, and Ian Biggs. www.toadsplace.com for more.

On Saturday, you can take a guided tour of two exhibits at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford. Learn more about (Re)Buuilding Hartford: A City Captred by Richard Willing, and Hartford Seen: Photographs by Pablo Delano. www.chs.org

Back up in Hartford, at Infinity Hall, on Friday they bring you The Cast of Beatlemania. On Saturday you can hear singer/songwriter and Grammy nominee Johan Osborne, with special guest Jeff Leblanc. On Sunday, they’ve got Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot – An Evening Celebrating the Music of Billy Joel. www.infinityhall.com.

This week, Manic Productions brings you Stephen Kellogg and Ben Fields to The Ballroom at The Outer Space in Hamden on Friday.www.manicproductions.com.

The Holiday Light Fantasia is open through the week at Goodwin Park in Hartford. It’s a two-mile drive-through wonderland of holiday scenes and animations. www.hartford.gov

You can skate for free at the Winterfest Hartford rink in Bushnell Park all week long, thanks to the City of Hartford and The iQuilt Partnership. Free skate rentals are available. http://www.hartford.com

Now here's a rundown of cinema off the beaten track in Central Connecticut:

At Real Art Ways in Hartford On Friday and Saturday they’re screening “National Gallery,” Frederick Wiseman’s film that takes you behind the scenes of this famous London museum. On Friday a run of “She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry” opens. It’s a documentary about the women who founded the modern women’s movement from 1966-1971. There’s a opening night discussion with Director Mary Dore on Friday after the film, which runs through the weekend. www.realartways.com.

At Cinestudio, the Trinity College cinema in Hartford, they’re showing the 1946 Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, tonight through Wednesday. Details are at www.cinestudio.org.